Telecom and Clear have signed an agreement that will finally allow Clear customers to call cellphone numbers without having to dial the 050 prefix.

“We have installed technology in the Telecom network that will enable Clear to offer non-code access for land to mobile calls while ensuring that customers have unimpeded choice between carriers for their national and international calling,” says Telecom spokesman Tim Lusk, who says Clear will "share the capital cost" of adding the technology needed to Telecom's network.

Meanwhile in Australia, phone companies are gearing up for cellphone number portability - users will be able to switch between networks and keep their existing numbers.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports the major cellphone companies are still to decide whether or not to charge customers for the change and if so how much. In Britain a fee of £30 ($NZ90) is charged and that, combined with a wait of two days for the change to take place, is believed to have contributed to low customer churn. The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) has ordered operators to complete any customer change over in less than three hours.

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